Turning Point
by rolly21
Summary: So this fic basically follows on from where you are not alone finished off... Merediths now the chief of seattle grace, and Macauley and Elijah are now interns... i hope u enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**so this is the sequel to you are not alone - i cant remember whether i had started posting it her and deleted it or hadnt at all.... either way there is a lot left in store for these characters and the family. btw this folllows on directly from where you are not alone finished  
**

**disclaimer - i own nothing  
**

**Another turning point,** a fork stuck in the road  
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go  
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why  
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind  
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time  
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial  
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life.

.....turning point..........

"This is your turning point people, you internship will be your fork in the orad. You have decided to go into surgery It's a tough field. Some of you will make it, but most of you wont. Those of you who do will later branch off into a chosen specialty It will define you and become a major part of your life. Here at Seattle Grace we only accept the best and it was how well you did out there that has brought you here. To stay, you need to rise to the challenges before you, and respect the cards that you have been dealt. That being said, no personal dramas will be brought into the 4 walls of this hospital. All relationships stay outside of the,. There will be no mess. Just work. Embrace the playing field and earn your position on my team." Meredith said as she addressed the interns. She then reversed her wheel chair and made her way out of the OR.

She had been able to see the nervousness on their faces, the fear in their eyes and she loved it. Still she could remember being in their position. It was weird to think about it when it only felt like yesterday. So much had happened during her intern year and she only hoped that things would go smoother for her boys.

Meredith let out a sigh as she pushed herself towards the elevator. She had already made an appointment to talk to her head staff about today. She needed to remind them that thee would be no special treatment for the boys and that they were not to be picked for the first surgery. He boy did not need the privilege, this was something that they would have to earn.

Mark was waiting for her in the elevator. He had promised that he would. And as she reached him he bent down and dropped a kiss on her lips. "See the boys?" he asked, and Meredith nodded before wheeling onto the elevator.

The elevator then began to move slowly and Meredith quickly glanced at her watch,

"What do you have ahead of you?" Mark asked as he looked down at her with concern.

"Monitoring patient, meeting with board members, a surgery, plus intern stuff." she told him as she looked back up at him again.

"Lunch still?" he asked.

Meredith nodded absent minded-ly. "I'm sure i can schedule you in."

"Do i need to pencil it into you planner?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly edgy?

Meredith looked up at him, shocked by the tone of his voice. "I have a busy day Sloan, we still have the official introductions of head attendings to interns." she said, having tried to ignore the attack. She had no idea where it had come from.

"Whatever Chief." Mark murmured as he pulled his hand away from hers. "Just dont be another Shepherd."  
Meredith didnt know what to say to him. He rarely acted like this with her. "Dont start please, not here." she warned as she wheeled off of the elevator and towards the board room she had reserved.

"Do i have to make an appointment for that too?" he asked as he moved past her and into the room.

Meredith glared at him. She would have thrown something at him if it wouldnt have caused a scene.

Her schedule today was full, and she couldnt help it. She knew that everything was a tight squeeze, but she had made it so to ensure that she could leave on time with Mark.


	2. Chapter 2

Eyes had darted around the room at the obvious seperation. No one had to say anything , and now would they have the guts. They knew that whatever happened would be over by the end of their shift and it would usually be resolved by one or both finally blowing their top, usually with both walking out looking more together than before.

Mark sat directly across from Meredith and watched her intently Just because they were fighting didnt mean that he would disrespect her or embarrass her in front of her subordinates.

Meredith cleared her throat and began to speak.

"As you all know, both Elijah and Macaulay started their internship today, and whilst Mak and I are both thrilled to have them in the hospital, we must ask that you do not favour them. It is already going to be a challenge for them. I want you to treat them like any other surgeon. If they earn something, reward them, dont give them a cushy ride. As is, both boys were asked to choose another familial surname to use whilst in this hospital. This was a decision made by the board, who believed it would be confusing to have 4 doctor sloans in the surgical ward. Both boys made their own decisions with Elijah going by Doctor Webber and Mac going by Dr Grey. I know that this may be confusing for you but with both boys being here, they also have different residents, and sould also be working different shifts. Eli will be working under Dr Tasman Shepherd while Mac has Dr Thomas Brennan. Does anyone have any questions?" she asked as she took this time to look around the room. She could see that they were all shocked. She had not let her eyes rest on Mark for to long as she knew that he would not be too impressed by what she had just revealed. She had told the boys that it was their job to inform him, and it was obvious now that they hadnt.

Everyone shook their heads at Meredith and she quickly collected her things. "Meet and greet in the auditorium in 5 minutes ppl. I have to run." she said as she began to reerse her wheel chair. "If i want to leave on time tonight i need to stick to my schedule." she said purposefully before she exited.

The rest of the attending heads turn to face Mark.

Marks fists were clenched as everyone waited for his reaction.

He couldnt believe that neither boys, nor Meredith had told him that they would be interning under a different name. Not to mention the final dig that Meredith had about wanting to leave on time. He had thought this morning , after their morning shower session that things would stay as normal, but it was obvious that they weren't going to be as he was already not being told things.

He looked up, meeting the gaze of all his colleagues who were not only his peers but also his family and friends.

None of them said anything as he watched them stand and walk out of the room, leaving him to his thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

Chelsea sat at the back of the auditorium. She had arrived just in time to hear her mother introduce Christina Yang, the woman she regarded as an aunt. A woman who had been too proud to change her last name when she had married Owen, the trauma attending.

Chelsea had looked around the room, trying to spot her brothers and managed to do so with ease. Both boys were only an actual 3 rows in front of her, talking quietly through out the speech.

Trying not to hit anyone else, she threw them a bag of peanut m and m's, narrowly missing their heads as it clipped Eli's shoulder before falling into one of their laps.

Eli turned and caught sight of his sister hiding up the back in a pair of their mothers lavender scrubs. He nudged Mac, who also turned around and spotted his sister. He couldnt help but shake his head though. He could already tell that their father was in a mood just by his stance, and their mother already seemed defensive. He would hate it if she was spotted here.

They turn their heads back to the front when their mothers voice comes over the microphone. The listened intently as she moved to introduce their father. Who then merely came, mumbled an introduction before stepping back. While their mother shot him a gaze that they once believed would kill them.

They watched as she moved quickly to introduce Owen before she wheeled back, ramming her chair back into their fathers shin.

No one seemed to comment as it no one else had noticed, all having focused on what Dr Hunt had to say.

Mac and Eli looked at each other, while Chelsea moved forward to join them, excusing herself as she found a spot next to them.

All 3 of them watched as their father tipped their mothers wheel chair back slightly and looked down at her. They couldnt hear what their parents were saying, but on their mothers lips they had managed to decipher a "grow the fuck up".

They watched as their father put her chair back down and went to walk away, only for their mother to catch his hand, effectively holding him in place.

Mac, Eli and Chels all looked at each other, not sure what to think of what was going on.

They watched as their mother squeezed their fathers hand, looking up at him, begging him to stay. They had never seen their mother look so hurt and it made them angry, however they knew better than to intervene having once before and made matters worse.

Soon they watched as their mother wished them luck again on their internship, before wheeling her chair off stage leaving Dr Torres to finish the introductions.

Their father had watched her leave, while the boys couldnt help but have an ill feeling in their stomach, and Chels moved to rest her head on Macs shoulder. She hated the fact that their parents seemed to be fighting, and that the boys didnt know why. Yet none of them knew that she had purposely left the room and was currently on a mission.


	4. Chapter 4

Meredith kept her eyes on them. She had spotted them from the stage and was not happy. Chelsea was supposed to be at school and the boys were meant to be listening to the speeches like every other intern.

Pushing her chair carefully down the levels, the years of experience having her "hopping" with ease. She reached their level in no time. Se felt the eyes of the other interns settle on her, and watched as they shifted awkwardly in their seats. "I suggest you move closer to the front." she advised before moving out of their way.

The four interns hurried into a closer spot and once they had finished moving Meredith knew that they boys had spotted her.

Chelsea had a deer in the head lights look and the boys could tell that they were all in trouble.

"You 3 outside now." she ordered before reversing back, attaching herself to the chair lift and following her children out.

They all knew better than to make their escape, no matter how tempting the idea was. They had learned that if they ran from mom, they would normally have to deal with dad, and that usually ended up being worse.

They moved from the room, already feeling the eyes of the others on them. There mother was not far behind them.

Meredith could see the guilty looks on their faces and knew that they thought that they were in trouble for one think, when it was something else that had made her mad.

She wheeled towards them before pausing, looking up at her 3 children, all dressed in a set of scrubs.

"You 3 are stupid." she said straightly as she looked up at them, "and if my legs actually functioned id kick all of your arses."

The three of them all looked between each other before looking back at their mother.

"You" Meredith said, pointing at Chelsea. "You are supposed to be at school, studying so you can actually wear scrubs everyday." she told her "and while they look cute on you, they dont belong to you."

"Mom" Chelsea started but Meredith cut her off.

"No Chelsea Jane Sloan. You are supposed to be at school. That is where you were supposed to catch your bus. There is no reason for you to be here. I know you wanted to see your brothers first day, but now you need to go up and get changed. Your father will be up soon to drive you to school. I will call your principal to cover you, but dont expect me to do it again." she said toughly before looking at her boys.

"Now you both are idiots. Not only are you disrespectful to your colleagues and your superiors because you did not listen to a single introduction, and i know that you already know them, and i really dont care but you were also foolish enough to not tell your father about taking the alternative surnames." she said and watched their eyes widen in surprise. "It's not the most pleasant thing to learn in a room full of your colleagues. It made it look like i had blind sided him. You were supposed to talk to him, and now you cant imagine the trouble that you have caused so DR GREY, DR WEBBER." Meredith says as she looks her boys up and down, hating that she was going to have to do this. "You will be answering every page that a nurse send. You will be doing rectal exams, dealing with emptying bed pans, and anything else they foresee until you learn to respect the people aound you and above you. I will let Olivia know. Enjoy your first 48 hours." she says as she begins to wheel away.

"Mom" Chelsea says nervously.

"I told you to go change." Meredith says harshly before turning to face her daughter.

"I didnt skip school for the boys." she says softly.

Meredith looks at her curiously before her eyes begin to soften.

"I skipped school for you. Its your first day as chief and i was going to be the only one who didnt see that." Chelsea said as she looked down at the ground. Meredith sighed as she rolled forward to stop in front of her daughter. "Sorry chels." she said with a sigh before taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "you shouldnt have skipped school though." she murmured.

"We're sorry too." Elijah chipped in, hoping their mother would not give them the dodgy duty still.

"No, you guys are still in trouble. I will let your residents know that you have both been assigned jobs. Maybe you will be more respectful in the future." Meredith scolded. "Now get back in their before the speeches are finished." she orders.

Meredith watched as both boys heads dropped as they re-entered the auditorium, knowing that this was going to be the worst first shift that could ever have happened.

....................... turning point .................. turning point ..................

Meredith had made her way back into the auditorium, moving across the stage back to Marks side. She stopped by him, reaching up to take his hand in hers.

He looked down at her briefly before looking back out at the crowd.

"Chelsea is in my office changing. I know you have a surgery at 10, but you should have time to get her back to school." Meredith told him as she squeezed his hand.

Mark let out a sigh before giving a stiff nod.

Meredith had watched his actions closely before releasing his hand. She couldnt believe ow things were going today. This morning had been perfect, as if nothing was going to change, but now he was tense and it seemed like it was going to be one of her worse days yet.

Wheeling back, she couldnt help but move away and put some distance between them. She did not know how much more of this she could take.

She knew that the boys had been watching. She could feel their eyes on her. Looking down at her wrist watch, she knew that she was cutting it fine to get to her board meeting. Looking over at Callie and seeing that she was still talking she wheeled over to Christina.

Chris looked down at her with a concerned look. "Whats up?" she asked. She knew that whatever was going on was bothering her.

"I need to get to the board meeting." she told her. "Can you wrap this up?"

Chris nodded and Meredith then wheeled out of the room, pagin both Dr Shepherd and Dr Brennan to the board room where she aimed to advise them of the work she had allocated both Elijah and Macauley.

... turning point.........

Mark watcher her leave and looked down at the ring on his finger. Turning it as he tried to remember that he had stupidly agreed to this. That he told her that he would support her. He knew that he wasnt doing very well so far.

Looking up, he sought out his boys, already knowing that they had done the dash with their mother, and would already have been given grunt work.

His eyes met theirs and he knew that they had obviously been watching everything between them

Shaking his head, he could see that they were obviously angry with him too. He knew that he needed to find a way to make it up to them and soon, after all, he was sure that this was all of his fault.


	5. Chapter 5

The first 12 hours had passed in a whirl wind for both Eli and Mac. They had worshipped tehir mother fro creating stash baskets for their lockers with an array of food that she knew would keep them going.

After having completed rectal exams, changing bed pans, and cleaning up numerous amounts of vomit, they couldnt deny that they were hungry, but they weren't completely sure that they could even eat.

They both ran a hand through their hair before looking at each other. They knew that they shouldnt have been talking when their superiors were, but they couldnt ignore what was going on between their parents.

Everytime they had seen their mother she had looked flustered and very busy, while their father looked mopey. Neither of them had stopped to talk, not that they themselves had time. By the time they had finished one job they were being paged for the next, so even if their parents hadnt been too busy, they couldnt say that they werent.

Sitting on an abandon bed in the basement had been an idea that they had recieved from their mother. She had told them about how her group had hung out down there, finding that it was the only place not continuosly flooded with people.

Enjoying the moment of silence they both laid back on the bed, praying that they could see their mother soon and that they could apologise to her until she lifted the punishment, but they knew that she was meant to be leaving soon, and was most likely not in much of a talking mood.

They had laid there for a while, debating their next move. Not sure whether to phone their mother or to report an apology to their Residents. As they debated the option they heard footsteps coming down the hall. Both boys thought about sitting up but were too wrecked to bother.

"This shift is not a sprint, its a marathon. " they heard their father say. "You need to eat."

"You try eating after doing what we just did." groaned Eli, not even looking up at his father.

They felt their father sit down on the bed next to them, but still didnt budge.

"I'm going to work on your mother tonight." Mark told them.

"Dad" Mac sounded, not wanting to hear it.

"No, your punishment is partly my fault." Mark told them. "I was an ass to your mom and you guys could see that, then again. I do believe you boys were supposed to tell me something..." he stated.

"Ahh yeah." they both sounded before letting out a sigh.

"Dad" Mac started but Mark decided to continue.

"Next time do as the board and your mother asks." he said. "I dentity fraud." he murmured before standing up and leaving what he brought on the bed,

"Eat the pizza." he said as he began to walk off, hearing the boys scrambling to sit up. He knew that they would enjoy it. "Just like their mother.

Meredith stared at the OR board, taking in all the surgeries going on. With everything that had happened today, she had to resist temptaton and not kick someone out of their surgery and take it. Gees with the day that she had, she wouldnt have cared if she only completed a basic appy.

Looking down at her watch she let out a sigh knowing that she was meant to be going home soon. The only problem was she didnt really want to go home, not after the day that she had.

"Thinking od me?" she heard her husband ask and she tilted her head up to see him. She frowned at him before looking back to the board.

"I'm debating whether i want to go home to my asshole husband." she said as she began to move away only for him to grab her chair.

"Come home with me." Mark said and when Meredith looked up she could see his pleading eyes.

"Why?" she asked him, not sure why she felt an urge to pick a fight with him.

"Because Dads got Chelsea, and we need to talk." she said quietly.

"Dr Sloan." Meredith said as she pulled her chair away from him. "You shouldnt have required such things. We could have talked in my office."

"and you've had all day." she mumbled knowing that during on of their normal fights they would have had it done and over by now.

"Mer" Mark said as he moved to stand in front of her, lowering her mouth to hers. "I want to make this up to you." he told her as he pulled away. "Now your in your street clothes, are you ready to go?" he asked.

Meredith sighed. "Fine but there better be some major ass kissing." she wanred.

"You bet." he murmured as he lowered his lips to hers. "I'm sorry."

..................... turning point ....................

Meredith laid back in the bath tub. The candles were giving off a flickering light as they danced across the tiles. She had been able to tell just from their car ride that Mark hadnt actually had anything planned. But when he had carried her inside ad up to the bathroom, he had began pampering her.

Mark had started off by giving her a massage. He had rubbed her shoulders and caressed her back. He worked out all of the knots that he knew that she would have.

He had followed this by running a hot bath for her. She had watched as he filled the tub with water before adding the lavender bath oils that she loved so much.

After helping her into the tub, he had lit the candles and placed them around the room. She had wanted to ask him to join her, and she was shocked that he hadnt.

Instead Meredith had watched him move to the door, flicking off the lights as he went.

Now, a whole half an hour alter, she could feel the water beginning to cool and could only hope that he would be back up again soon since he hadnt brought her wheel chair into the room. She knew that she had to stay put because their would be no way that she could crawl out of the tub and drag herself back down to the bathroom.

She was on the verge of calling out to him when he returned, walking back into the room with a heated towel which he had obviously put in the dryer.

She had goosebumps on her skin and she watched a frown crease his forehead as he realised. "I'm sorry i took so long." he murmured as he sat the towel down and quickly scooped her up.

Meredith didnt say anything as she slipped her arms around his neck. She felt Mark pause to pick up the towel before carrying her through to the bedroom. All the time she remained quiet, anticipating things that could come next.

Sitting her down on the bed he then handed her to towel and Meredith felt his eyes roam over her body as he admired her.

She quickly wrapped the towel around her and watched as he began to move around the draws. "What pj's do you want?" he asked, looking over at her quickly.

Meredith shrugged, if he was getting her pyjamas she figured that he had no intention of make up sex, which left her feeling a little disappointed.

"Mer?" Mark asked as he turned holding up his NYU shirt and a pair of blue bowers.

Again Meredith shrugged causing Mark to give up and just bring them over to her.

He sat them beside her before he grabbed her body lotion from the dresser. He returned to her to moisturise both her legs, arms and her stomach. While it had felt sensual and soothing, she had been surprised that Mark had not made it more of a sexual act. Once he was done he retrieved her wheelchair and opened it next to her.

"I will see you downstairs." he told her as he leaned in to give her a kiss. "Dont take too long." he added before he walked out leaving Meredith to dress her self.

............. turning point .....................

It had taken all of his will power to get her from the tub and into their bedroom, and even more to rub in her lotion without making love to her then and there. The only thing hat stopped him was the fact that she deserved better. So as he took the stairs back down to the dining room where everything was now waiting, he couldnt help but feel proud of his restraint.

He had every intention of grovelling. He knew that she deserved it, and while pizza for a candle lit dinner might have appeared to anyone else as strange, he knew that it would be perfect for them.

He re-lit the candles and moved around the table filling her glass with the red wine that he had grabbed from the cellar. He hoped that she wouldnt be too much longer as he didnt want the pizza to get cold, despite the fact that it was how she liked it best.

He could hear the chair lift moving and he quickly moved from the room, pressing play on the remote, setting off the music of Ron pope. Meredith had become quite intrigued by his voice a few years earlier.

He watched as she got off of the lift and wheeled towards him.

He kissed her softly in greeting before motioning to her to enter the dining room. "dinner awaits." he said with a wink before moving into the room ahead of her and Meredith was left wondering what the hell was going on....

............. turning point ................... turning point ..................

Pizza, candles, and lillies.

Meredith took in the layout of the room surprised to find what mark had set up. She looked up at him taking in the smirk that graced his face. Everything about it screamed mcsteamy, and it reminded meredith of the night he had proposed.

"I'm so sorry mer" mark murmured as he helped her into the seat at the table, not that she needed help, but it was the act that counted.

Meredith didn't want to just let him think that he could get away with just apologising and smiling.

"Today was important for me and the boys." She stated as she reached for the pizza that mark had laid out in front of her.

Mark nodded before taking a seat across from her. "I" he started before shaking his head.

He looked over at Meredith sincerely and meredith didn't know what to think.

"Im not derek." She murmured as she looked back down at her pizza. "We are not the shepherds and im not going to make u run."

Mark let out a small sigh as he looked down at his plate. He was ashamed with himself. If he had been honest with himself he would have known that she wouldn't. "I know"

Meredith didn't say anything more as she began to eat her pizza. Her eyes stayed on her plate as she didn't want to look up at him.

They continued to eat in silence, neither quite sure what to say, both too scared of the silence and yet both too scared to break it.

"I" Mark started before stopping again, not sure of what words to use.

Meredith looked up, her eyes meeting his before flicking up to catch the time on the clock.

Mark followed her line of sight and took in the time. "You could call them you know." Mark told her knowing that she would be thinking about the boys.

Meredith shook her head.

"They're not angry at you." He added knowing that's what she was thinking. "More me for being an arse."

"Hmmm" meredith sighed.

"Mer I had to promise them to talk to you to get them to lay off of me." He told them. "They were pissed with me." He added.

"Yeah well." Meredith murmured still refusing to look at him.

"They blame me and lets face it mer, its my fault. If I wasn't an arse, and if they weren't worried about you then..." he trailed off.

Meredith still hadn't looked at him. Mark knew that she hated that she had to boss the boys and be the bad guy.

He pushed back his seat without saying anything and moved around the table to her.

Meredith pushed her piece of pizza around on her plate. She didn't look up even though she knew that he had shifted.

Mark rested his hands on her shoulder rubbing them slightly before pulling her chair back from the table.

Meredith was being stubborn and Mark knew that she was fighting the urge to look up at him.

He bobbed down to her height, his hand nudging her below the chin, encouraging her to meet his eyes.

"The boys know that the punsihment is part of the job." Mark told her. "They also know that they should have spoken up first in regards to the name changes... they are sorry Mer, and so am I. I'm trying here to make you see that, but your just... and I don't know." He murmured.

Meredith closed her eyes, her hand moving to push away the tear that had escaped.

"Do you really think that I will forget my family?" she asked refusing to open her eyes and see him. "Do you really think I would compromise us after what my own childhood was like? Do you think that I would get too engrossed in the hospital that I won't make it home at night.?"

Mark shook his head, and let out a throaty "no"

"Then why did you do this to begin with?" she asked. "You knew that my day to day life would change enormously. I haven't always been able to eat with you and you know that." She added.

"I don't know what else to say Mer." Mark murmured as he leaned his head in to rest against hers. "I fucked up, and I ruined not only your day, but the first shift for both eli and mac. Nothing can change what I did, all I can do is promise that tomorrow will be better." He said as he kissed her nose. "I over reacted when there was no need to Mer. I'm so sorry Sloan." He added as he leaned in to capture her lips, soft and sweet.

Meredith let out a small moan as her hands reached to grab the collar of his shirt.

"I love you so much." He murmured between kisses. "I will make it up to you." He insisted and Meredith didn't know what to think as she urged herself to get lost in his kiss, hoping that this could erase the memory of the first day in a long time that her husband has let her down.

"I love you too." She murmured pulling back to see the promise in his eyes, and the love that had been there now for over 30 yrs


	6. Chapter 6

It seemed that the night had gone too soon and that the only way mark could show Meredith just how much he loved her and just how sorry he was, was to love her body over and over again through the night. His moans and little reassuring whispers urging her to open her eyes and mind to everything that he was saying. This was not how they did these things normally, but mark was pretty sure that this was not a normal situation. This was beyond that. This was worse than her first real day at grace where as an intern she had tried to keep her personal life out of the hospital, only for her fellow interns to give her a hard time about sleeping with an attending. Of course that was along time ago now, and she had effectively put them in their places on just why she was really here.

As they had woken in the morning, meredith had promptly got ready to work and took her car into the hospital. Mark wasn't starting until 10 and she wasn't quite sure how things held up overnight. Between not knowing what to expect when she arrived at the hospital and not quite knowing what every bit of last night meant for her and Mark, she was left in quite a dangerous head place as she drove to work.

She had been relieved to make it to work safely and within her scheduled time frame, between the hold up on the freeway and the almost running of a red light, she had been quite relieved to move from car seat to wheel chair and entered the hospital in one piece.

Not paying too much attention to the people around her, she moved towards the elevator, hoping to make a quick path to her office where her day planner was set with everything she needed to do today, including the craniotomy that she had scheduled for 2pm.

As she exited the elevator and made the bee line for her office she noticed 2 sullen looking bodies partially asleep in the chairs just outside. She also spotted her new secretary hannah waiting for her with a hot mocha and her day book open.

Meredith smiled as she neared her door and nudged it open with her foot before making her way in. "How long have the been there?" she asked hannah, gesturing to her sleeping sons.

"They were there when I arrived this morning Dr Sloan, they haven't been a bother, just said that they wanted to see u before u go to their other appointments." Hannah replied.

Meredith sighed as she wheeled her self towards the door. "How long do I have?" she asked, refering to her pretty full schedule.

"15 minutes before the new peads surgeon gets here." Hannah responded quickly.

Meredith nodded quickly before exiting the room knowing that Hannah was paying attention to her every move. She watched as meredith pulled out her pager before paging hr boys.

Meredith parked her chair directly in front of the boys and waited for their pagers to sound. She hoped her face portayed an angry look, but knew that it probably didn't as she had always loved watching her boys sleep, even now.

The boys awoke with a start and Meredith could see that they were a little disorientated at first before they worked out exactly where they were and who was with them.

"Ma... mom." Eli mumbles as both boys sit up and Mac wipes his drool on his sleeve.

"Chief" says Macauley quietly as he runs a hand over his face urging himself to wake up.

"Dr webber, Dr Grey, is there a reason for you to be asleep out the front of my office because I am sure that the nurses have had some jobs for you to do." She said firmly before looking her boys over and noting how worn out they were.

Both boys noticed their mothers eyes soften and moved to sit up a little.

"We have an appointment with u." Mac quickly replied before looking at his brother with uncertainty.

"Well step inside quickly then." She encouraged them before moving back away from them and towards her office.

She heard both boys scramble to their feet quickly. She knew that they wouldn't need telling twice.

.......... turning point ...............

The boys had been freed and the new peads surgeon, an Arizona Robbins had now been given a tour of the hospital. She had given her boys that 1 task, knowing that they could give her a run down on the way things worked in the hospital as they had grown up here.

Now as she studied her patients chart and finished checking the scans she brain mapped her approach, noting that the small clot was sitting in a very interesting spot.

"You left without so much as a good morning." She heard mark say, causing her to look up from her work.

"You were sleeping." She replied as she closed the chart and filed the scans away.

"Im guessing you didn't eat breakfast?" he asked as he moved around her table before dipping his head to kiss her.

Meredith didn't say anything as she kissed him back before reaching for the paper bag that he had been holding causing mark to pull back with a chuckle.

"You think that's for you?" she heard him ask as she began to open the bag. She looked up at him, daring for him to say that it wasn't.

"That's mine, you should have thought to eat something this morning." He said in jest.

Meredith peaked into the paper bag and noticed that there were two ham cheese and olive croissants that she loved so much. "What's yours is mine." She said smartly reaching into the bag to pull one croissant out.

Mark chuckled at her cheek, knowing that he had really bought both of them for her.

He watched as she began to devour the first one, knowing that it was the right thing to do before he moved to kiss he again. "Mmm u taste cheesy." He said smartly before kissing the top of her head. "Enjoy your breakfast" he told her as he moved towards the door.

"Hey sloan." Meredith called to him, encouraging him to turn around and look at her. "I can fit you in for lunch at 12:30 if u r free." She said with a grin, having told Hannah that barring any emergencies she wanted an hour a day to eat lunch with her husband and that was only if he too wasn't in a surgery.

"Hmm" he said with a big smile. "I will try to squeeze it in." He told her with a wink before moving to lean on the door frame, "love u sloan." He said quietly, but still loud enough for her to hear him as he made his escape and headed to check on his patients. He was quite looking forward to 12:30. "Just before my tummy tuck." He thought to himself as he winked at the nurses crowding around the nurses station watching him. They had obviously been betting on how long it would take for him and Mer to be good again. "Have a good day ladies." He told them as he grabbed his chart and continued on.


	7. Chapter 7

The news had spread amongst the nurses fast that Meredith and Mark were all good again. It seemed the large betting pool had surprised everyone, more so when chelsea had rocked up minutes before school to collect her winnings. As she told them a thousand times, she knew her parents, and she knew her mother, and it was going to take a lot for her to forgive her father for ruining her first day. What she didn't tell them was that when she placed the bet she had called from her grandfathers who had picked her up, explaining that her parents needed time to sort out some problems, which meant that her father had been preparing to do some major arse kissing.

She giggled to herself as she had exited the hospital. She couldn't have believed that the prize total ended up being 1000 dollars. It was the quickest money she had ever made, and she knew, from the moment her mother had spotted her collecting her winnings that she would have to hand over half, afterall the bet had been placed on her life, and she did have inside information.

Meredith had shaken her head at her daughter, but was always interested in how her daughter may have looked a lot like her when she was younger but seemed to have her fathers charm.

Now as she thought over her daughters wit, and personality she couldn't help but consider her boys who both looked remarkebly like their father when he was younger. Macauley of course had been a lot like her, somewhat sensitive but driven, focused and loyal. Elijah was all those things too, but he had the layer of charisma and massive self confidence that had some people comparing him to Mark.

Of course when one is thinking of their children, one can't help but to ponder who Michael would have been like, and what he may have become. Meredith was sure that he unlike the boys would have looked to go against the grain of the hospital life and to have looked to do something very different to his parents, but in not being able to know him, and watch him grow, she couldn't imagine what he would be like now, or the occupation that he might have entered.

She sat in the cafeteria pondering this, swirling her cup of coffee around as she willed herself to finish it off. She still missed Michael even now, and as much as she didn't want to hurt anymore, she knew that she couldn't forget him. It hurt to much to consider and yet it hurt too much to think of him.

Letting out a small sigh she ran a hand across the back of her neck, massaging it slightly hoping that the pain would ease in her head and heart if it eased in her neck too.

Turning point.... turning point.... turning point

They could see the look as they occupied their seats on the other side of the cafeteria. It was the first time they had been down there as surgeons as they were actually able to take a break today.

Both boys had managed to grab some food and a drink before sitting away from the crowds, only a few of their interns joining them. More so though, they were sure that they were really only lining up to speak to them both because of their last names, after all their grandmother Ellis Grey had stormed her way into the history books not only as a revolutionary female surgeon but also because of her laproscopic grey method. Their grandfather Richard Webber had been popular for his fantastic field work in general surgery and for overseeing the domino effect that Bailey had carried out while he was chief. They knew that somehow they had made the connections between their grandparents and them, and that it was probably the only reason why they were sitting there.

But now, as they sat with their groups they were distracted by the fading light in their mothers face.

They had seen that look before, and at once stage thought that there was nothing they could do to bring her out of the darkness that had inflicted so much pain on her, and the life that she lives.

These days they knew otherwise.

They had been told about their big brother from the start. They could vaguely remember their mother telling them that he would always be watching over them. Of course, they hadn't been told about how he had died until they were 10 and they had caught their mother crying and looking through her old album. The album that she had made for Michael.

Over the years they learned that if they spoke of all the things that they would have done with him, of the trouble that he would have got them into, that she would giggle and say "not my mikey" . But the stories had always managed to have put a smile on her face, and she would wipe away the tears that had grown and thank them for making her think about the happy things that could have been and not just focus on the fact that she had lost him.

Both boys knew that they would need to do this again. They could see her trying to fight this on her own, but knew that the will would die as she craved for him even more. So they pushed back their chairs, quickly excusing themselves from their group before beginning to walk towards their mother.

Turning point... turning point... turning point...

Mark could see his two boys sitting their talking to their mother as he entered the cafeteria. He had noticed her raising her hand to wipe away a tear as she listened to both boys speaking rather animatedly.

He could tell from the look on her face what was going on, and he could only be thankful that Eli and Mac had been there for her. It was their gift, and he was forever grateful for it.

He collected enough food for both Meredith and him before moving towards the table. There was a small giggle rising from the spot where they sat and he was relieved, knowing that the boys had succeeded.

He sat down his tray just as he heard saw Meredith shake her head and say "nah not my Mikey". He then pushed the tray towards her before moving her chair back slightly.

He clapped both his boys on the back before he moved to lift Meredith out of her chair, stealing the seat, and placing her back on his lap.

They had continued to eat as a family, knowing that it was a familiar site for most people from the hospital besides the group of interns that had befriended the twins.

The boys having finished their meals moved to kiss their mothers cheek before moving off to where their resident had stationed them.

Mark then moved to give Meredith a small kiss before commenting on how great their 4 kids were.

Meredith had just nodded, resting back against her husband as she felt safe and warm being held in his arms...

Turning point... turning point... turning point...

Macauley shifted from his spot at the nurses station as he felt someone pause beside him, he turned to look upon the one and only Laura Thompson, his cousin.

"I saw aunt Mer and uncle Mark in the cafeteria." She commented as she reached past him to steal his coffee.

"Yeah" Mac replied, not sure what she was fishing for.

"Do you think we will find that?" she asked, handing him back his drink before looking around the hall.

"I hope so Laura." He said softly as his eyes lifted up to meet hers and she could see that he was thinking about the one girl he had always loved and had left back at uni.

"I hope so too." She murmured as she grabbed the chart she needed and began walking away knowing that she needed to talk him into chasing up his dream girl.


	8. Chapter 8

A hand cupped the small bump that had formed where her stomach was.

After finally spilling the news to her mother, she knew that she had to tell him. She definitely had to before her father found out.

Her mother had canceled her internship with Charlotte King at St Ambrose after telling her that she couldnt run away from this and that she couldnt and shouldnt face this on her own.

Now as she felt the plane skid its tyres as it made to land, she knew that she would have to approach the Chief of Surgery at Grace, the place where he worked, and hope that she would say yes. It was not something common for a hospital to take up an intern, especially after the intern year has just begun, if she had been quicker than there may have been more of a chance to slide in, however, she was chosing to forget the fact that she was pregnant, and that would likely hinder things more.

Although, as she though hard about it, she could argue with the Chief that the father is there working and that she too needs to be in Seattle and that she is worthy of the best program that there is. She was also hoping that she would be a little more lenient as the Chief was going to be the baby's grandmother. She just didnt know how she was supposed to blurt this out to her, let alone how she was going to tell him.

** TURNING POINT TURNING POINT TURNING POINT TURNING POINT TURNING POINT**

Meredith had just scrubbed out of surgery. She was tired, and her shoulders were sore. She knew that after speaking to the patients family she would be able to retreat to he office to shower, aiming to change and get ready to go home.

As she wheeled her way down the hall, followed closely by Tasman, who had been her resident on the case, she knew that she could palm this off onto him to do, but as it was part of the job, she knew that she shouldnt.

Tasman reached over and gave his aunts shoulder a squeeze. "you rocked like always." he told her and Meredith nodded before giving him a small smile.

They met up with the patients family, and she quickly told them that the surgery was a success barring any complications. She then advised Tasman that he should take the family to see their patient as soon as they got him settled again.

Once doing that she began her slow trek back to hr office, praying that the shower that she longed for was going to be attainable.

It wasnt until she neared the room that her eyes landed on the strawberry blonde woman with curly hair.

At first Meredith didnt recognise her, but as she got closer her eyes twinkled, and a smile spread heartily across her face.

"Little Amelia Shepherd." Meredith said with a smile as she looked the woman over, noticing the slight bump on the tender frame.

"Hey Aunt Mer." Amelia replied as she bit her lip nervously and pushed a curl out of her face.

"Well am i going to get a hug or what?" Meredith asks as she finally reaches her.

Meredith watched as Amelia pondered the idea before she finally lent down and embraced her.

"Now what can i do for you?" Meredith asked as she slowly let her go, moving forwards to open her office door, letting them inside.

"I " Amelia started before going quiet again still not sure how to ask for what she wanted. Here was a woman she hadnt seen since 2 christmas's ago.

"I need a job." Amelia finally stated as she watched Meredith place her scrub cap on her desk.

Meredith looked up at her in shock, before raising an eyebrow at her.

"I thought you were supposed to be interning at St Ambrose. Thats what the last email from your mother told me." she said almost cynically, "and in your condition i would have assumed that she would have wanted to keep you close."

Amelia let out a sigh, not knowing what she should say to that.

"Well?" Meredith asked, hoping for her to come straight out with what was going on.

"Things change." Amelia told her honestly. "People change and situations change, either way, im here and i need a job."

Meredith nodded her head thoughfully before encouraging her to sit down. "How far along are you?" she asked her, hoping that she could some how help her.

"3 months." Amelia murmured before taking the seat, both settling down into a small conversation leading to the discussion of possibilities for work. Meredith not being sure how this could work, and Amelia praying that she didnt have to reveal the implications the pregnancy will have on her family.

.............. turning point............ turning point .............

Meredith had hoped that inviting Amelia to a Barbecue would pull both her boys away from the enormity of their internship. They had only been working for a few days, but she knew how tiring it was, and how grateful she was that Mark was able to provide her with a home cooked meal. She also knew how good it was that her mother and father offered her support and kept them both on their toes. So as she invited Amelia, the girl that she had known as her niece for many years, even if there weren't blood related, she couldn't help but wonder if this was the right thing to do. She could sense that something was up, and therefore wasn't sure whether she was meddling with something unknowingly.

Mark had agreed that pulling the boys home for a Barbecue with Chelsea would be good, especially now that they were living in a house not far from the hospital.  
They had been planning on having them home once a week for a meal; now that they were home it was good to have that family time. Neither had liked being so far away from home for college and med school, but Meredith and Mark had both wanted the best for their boys and that had seemed the way to go.

Having arranged dinner with both boys, making sure that they would be able to make it, and then inviting Tasman, knowing that he would want to come see Amelia, not that he was told that she was there – neither were the boys – they then organised what they had at home which would be fitting for their summer evening.

Meredith had made sure that Mark was going to be ready and willing to use the grill and that Chelsea was going to be okay to make the salads. She herself would be making sure there were enough sweets for them all, as well as letting her father know that if he could get her mother from the nursing home than they would be more than welcome to come to dinner.

Ellis has been put in the nursing home only a year previous as Alzheimer's kicked in. Richard and Meredith had argued over the appropriateness of Ellis being put in a nursing home, and it was unfortunate for Meredith that Richard had won. She knew though that if she had honestly considered how things were, and the age of her father, that he couldn't really look after both of them, she knew that it was a struggle for him to keep everything sane, especially as his hearing started to dwindle and that he now needed stronger glasses to read.

Looking around the hospital as she wheeled down the board walk, and towards the waiting elevator, she knew that Mark was currently at home and that the boys were now waiting for her downstairs, ready to give her a ride home. They had carpooled together, hoping to save on petrol, it also helped that they had been scheduled on the same shifts. That of course had been Meredith's own doing.

TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP TP

She could remember his heart broken eyes. The way his lips quivered and his body shook with hurt.

She could still see him reflected in her rearview mirror as she drove away.

They had been together for a year. Sheltered from their parents, never knowing that in the end it would all come out, that it would need to. And never fully knowing the destruction it would cause.

"This is why this is stupid." She murmured as she pulled up in front of the Sloan house knowing that she really should have called him and told him she was here. But she had no idea what he would say to her, whether he would want her here. But she knew that just rocking up at his parents house, even if invitied, would rock the boat more.

Reaching to the seat beside her she grabbed hold of her hand bag before climbing out of the car.

Was leaving him the way she did something that she regretter? Sure, she thought about it everyday. But she knew nothing she did from now on would change what she had done to him.

Approaching the door, she took in the familiarity of the place and found herself thinking back to the days that were not sexual or emotionally charged but were still intimate in a young familiar way.

Ringing the door bell, she stands waiting, not knowing what to expect, and fighting the urge to run.

Suddenly the door opens and she knows that she is now stuck. "Mia" a voice comes, and she looks up biting her lip as she nervously meets the persons eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Amelia stood frozen in her spot. Her eyes not leaving the person in front of her.

"Mia" the person finally said again. He was obviously fighting the shock of seeing her. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Your mom invited me Mac." She stated as she but her bottom lip. Her fear of the situation almost causing her to run, in fact out, catching hers and spinning her around.

"You know that's not what i meant." he stated as he began to look her up and down. His eyes travelled over her body, the body he had completely memorised, and had not been able to forget. His eyes paused on her stomach, taking in the shape. It wasn't completely obvious, but it was there, and it only set his mind on fire with questions.

Amelia watched as his face changed, she had always hated that she couldn't hide things from him, not that she had ever wanted to, but when this happened, when she thought about going to him, and not running away, all she had really wanted to do was hide.

"Are you going to let her in?" Macaulay heard his father ask and he stepped away from the doorway to let her through. His eyes held hers as she entered the house and he continued to watch her as she made her way through to the kitchen.

....... turning point ..............

Mark watched the look on his sons face. He knew the look well. It was one he had seen on Meredith when she would see something she wanted.

"She's pregnant you know." Mark finally told him as he wasn't able to just sit back and watch him any longer.

"I know." Macaulay replied, swallowing as his observation was confirmed.

"You wouldn't know anything about the father would you?" Mark then asked, stepping a little closer to his son, noting that he had paled slightly.

"I might" He replied before looking nervously up at his father.

"Mac" Mark sighed roughly.

"I swear Dad, when i know something i will tell you." Macaulay told him before turning to look back at the kitchen where Amelia had just disappeared.

Mark nodded before slapping a hand on his sons shoulder and led him towards the room where he was sure that there would be some answers, that would lead to many more questions.

................... turning point............

Amelia sat at the end of the table under the curios eye of Mark. She knew that he suspected something was off, but she hoped that he had no real idea, especially this early in the evening.

Macaulay had stared at her for what had been forever, his eyes questioning her, but she had avoided giving any response when Nanna Ellis had dragged him into a conversation. Amelia had listened for a moment and noticed that she had obviously been getting worse.

Meredith had positioned herself at the bench and was busy cutting up the last few ingredients for the salad. She had simply smiled when Amelia had entered, her eyes drifting between Macaulay and her for a second before returning to the task at hand. Elijah had arrived not long after Amelia had, he had offered his usual grin before being ordered to go help Popp Richard who was busy outside manning the grill.

Chelsea had yet to make an appearance, even if it was clear from the amount of noise coming from upstairs that she was in her room. Amelia could imagine the younger girl was probably busy in her computer while putting on the guise of doing her homework. She had no idea how Chelsea would react to her presence, after all, Chelsea had always been pretty close with her.

Feeling content with sitting quietly, it wasn't until the phone rang that anyone really spoke to me.

"Ok, No thats fine Tas, have fun." Were the words i heard from Marks mouth before he hung up looking pointedly at me.

"That was Tasman, he is sorry that he cant make it tonight, but he has a date." Mark tells her and everyone else it seemed. "You will have to come into the hospital tomorrow and see him."

Amelia nods her head before looking to her Meredith to see her wheelin around to the table, he salad balanced on her lap.

"Meats cooked." Eli calls as he brings in a plate stacked with steaks.

"I will just go get Chels." Mark advises the group before taking off towards the stairs.

.................... turning point............. turning point............

"If you could work out the worst scenario in your life and the best scenario in your life you wouldn't imagine that they would be the same, however, im pretty sure that is how its turning out." She says to herself later that night as she was sitting out on the hammock with all the gang.

Macauley had been sitting across from her, brooding, obviously wanting to ask her a few questions.

Meredith was curled up on the outdoor lounge with Mark, and it was obvious that they were talking quietly.

Eli and Richard had been talking about the hospital.

Amelia turns her head to Chelsea, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't exactly been listening to what she had been saying.

"So after mom caught me, she sent me to change out of her scrubs and dad had to take me to school." Chelsea finished and Amelia faked a smile as if to say she had been listening, but Chelsea could tell that she hadn't been.

They look at each other without saying anything, and unconsciously Amelia's hand wanders over her stomach.

"Is it mine?" Macaulay finally asked, pulling their attention away from each other. Everyone was now looking at her.

"Is it mine? And if it is why did you leave?" he asked running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Macky" she starts, hating that he was doing this here. Talk about being reckless.

"Just tell me alright. I mean its got to be, why else would you show up here. Or was it not enough that you ripped my heart out when you chose to go back home, that you needed to come back here and rub another mans kid in my face." He said as he stood. The anger and frustration on his face.

"I kept our secret, but you just cant..." he said as he turned away, looking to walk in side.

Mark moved quickly to grab his son, and hold him there, while Meredith sat up, not moving further than to the edge of the couch.

"Sit down." Mark ordered Macaulay before looking back at Amelia.

Macaulay hesitated before slumping down in the first chair he could find, which was as far away from them as possible.

"Well?" Meredith asked Amelia, her eyes centred on the young woman.

"I" she starts, looking around at the people she had grown to think of family.

"Yes" she finally says as she looks down at the ground.

"Macky yes its yours, and i didn't know until i got home." She said as she lifted her head up, tears evident in her eyes.

"but" he says, as he looks to his dad, and its obvious that he is scared.

"I went home because, i... when we were in our little university bubble... we could do this... we could be together... but..." she sighed and looked down again.

"I should go... yeah i will go..." she states as she stands, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes, as she begins to move to the door.

"Wait" Chelsea says as she grabs hold of her arm. "You cant just walk away when this is hard."

"The Carousel wont stop turnin." Ellis said as she looked to her.

Everyone stopped and thought about her insight, even if she had no real idea what was going on half the time.

"can i..." she starts before stopping... "can i go." She finally say. "Can i go now and leave you to... talk or something... and then tomorrow... then tomorrow Macky we can do this because i cant.. i cant do this now... not here."

"Where?" A crest fallen Macaulay asks.

"That... the park where we used to play... meet there tomorrow." She says, again wiping the tears from her eyes.

"oh.. ok" he murmurs, his eyes filling with tears as he watched her begin to leave. "Melly" he said softly, just catching her attention. "don't... don't leave this time... i love you.. and just... don't leave this time." He says and he feels his father rest a hand on his shoulder.

No one said anything as they watched her leave. The night ruined, and yet, just beginning.  



	10. Chapter 10

Meredith hadn't felt too comfortable leaving the next morning. Both her and Mark had sat down and had a long conversation with Macaulay about the events of the evening, which had also included a long catch up on what exactly went down between the young couple.

There had been tears, there had definitely been tears, which was something Meredith wasn't exactly accustomed to when it came to her son. Macaulay had never been one to really cry. If anyone was a crier out of him and his brother it had definitely been Elijah who had dominated the tears and screams between the two from a very young age.

After eventually getting through his whole experience, Meredith couldnt help but hate Amelia a little for her actions. The young woman who was like a niece to her had broken her sons heart and had only returned because she had a baby on the way.

She thought back to the when her and Mark were in their early days. Their relationship had been eye opening for her, and she had fell hard. If it wasnt for Richard proving that love could survive over time. Their relationship had been challenged by so much, and yet they had survived, even when things looked like they wouldnt. From her hesitation at first, to her car accident, she was sure that everything had been thrown at them, and yet they had managed to survive. A relationship that was so young and yet proved to be so strong. She really wished for that her sons would find that. Unfortunately it seemed that so far either Macaulay hadnt found it - or Amelia was just fighting to see it.

Mark had to encourage her up to bed, he had picked her up from her chair and carried her up the stairs, proving to people that he still had the strength to care for his wife.

Macaulay had looked on longingly. He had thought that this thing he had wiith Amelia was much like what his parents had, but he couldnt help but doubt it now. Things had been so great this past year before she left, now he didnt know what was goingon or where they were at. A baby, he still couldnt get past the fact that they were going to bring one into the world.

Forcing himself to stand, after watching his parents disappear out of view, he moved towards the back yard, and down the ramp. He needed to talk this out. He really needed to talk this out, and there was only one person he could talk it out with, someone who could make him bouce his thoughts and help him make sense of them.

He looked back up to the house, to see his parents light switch off, and hear his mother giggle at something his father had obviously done.

Elijah had already gone home, and Chelsea was currently listening to music through her rather large headphones. He could see her through her window, sitting in front of her computer, obviously doing this latest thing that she's addicted to – fanfiction. He had heard her talk about it with their grandmother, telling her about how she is exploring her writing abilities by writing stories based on television shows. Their Grandma Ellis had said something like it being a "silly pointless activity" but Chelsea had argued that being able to express yourselves with words was just as important as slicing someone open.

Macaulay turned back to the corner of the yard, following the cement path to the seat that was there. The seat had been there from the time they were 3. It was explainedto them when they were five that if they wanted to talk to Michael that all they needed to do was sit on this seat and his spirit would sit beside them and he would hear everything that they had to say, and help them work out what they right thing would be for them to do.

Looking down at the plague on the back rest of the seat, he then proceeded to sit down, hoping that his brother would join him soon.

Closing his eyes, he rested his head back over the top of the seat, waiting a moment before he started talking.

"I dont know what to do?" he sighed. He felt his body relax, he had stopped feeling silly about doing this after a few years of thinking it was weird when he was a teen, and had returned to the easiness of it that he had experienced when he was younger.

"When we were in our uni bubble, it was working, everything seemed perfect and easy." He voiced as he then moved to lean forward, his head now resting in his hands. "a baby... mike... how are we supposed to bring a baby into the world when she doesnt even want to be with me...ahhhh where did i go wrong?"

Moving to stand he begins to pace back and forth. His eyes on the seat as if Mike is there watching him.

"How do I fix this. How do we do this. A baby Mike, a baby with her is excellent... is something i had dreamed... just not for now...not like this... how do i know she wont leave again... what does she even want from me now?" he asked as he again looked at the seat, moving back now to sit down.

He laid his head back on the seat again. Closing his eyes, he willed for Michael to give him an answer.

.............tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp...............

Macaulay woke with a start, feeling the morning chill wrapped around him, and the sound of the back sliding screen door slammming.

Pushing himself up, he wiped the drool from the side of his mouth and looked up to see his father walking out, two cups of coffee in his hands.

He barely had a chance to wipe the sleep from his eyes when the cup of coffee was held directly in his face.

Gratefully he took the mug from his fathers hands. He didnt bother to look up at him as he was sure he would see disappointment in his eyes.

He felt him sit down beside him moving to sit in a very similar way to which he was already sitting.

"You figure it out yet?" his father asked before taking a sip of his coffee, before letting out a refreshed "ahhhh"

Macaulay shakes his head in response before moving leaning back. His body was hating on him for having slept on Michaels bench.

"Do you know the last time you camped out here with Mike was when your mother had Chelsea. You came and sat out here to tell him how stupid it was that she had another kid, but then went on to decribe how cute she was." His father told him. "The next morning, you came running inside demanding that i take you up to the hospital and get Chelsea because she needed to meet Mikey right now." He added, a smile present on his face as he lost himself for a moment, remembering the insistent look on his sons face. Elijah having just been completely defiant in regards to having a sister at all. He had stomped his foot, refused to go to the hospital and then stated that "he didnt want a sister" and she needed to "go back to where she came from." He remembered wincing at the implications that of that thought.

Macaulay turns his head to the side to look at his father, he could see the reminsce look on his face. "What would you do?" he asked, hoping that his father would give him some guidance.

"I cant answer that." Was the reply he recieved, and he almost wanted to yell at his father. "But i do know that you obviously love her, and that while this kid isnt planned, its something you will do right by, so maybe you should, i dont know, see what she expects from you first."

Macaulay studied the look on his fathers face for a moment, before giving a nod.

Both moved into silence, as they continued to drink their coffee.

In mutual respect both finally stood, empty coffee mugs still in their hands. "I hope Mike helped you." Mark told him as he rested his hand on the top of the bench, remembering the many times he had come out here to sit and talk with his son. It seemed just talking about his situation, and being able to clear his head, assisted in making his decisions in a more easy – stress free manner.

"Yeah... i think he did" Macaulay replied, as he felt his fathers hand rest upon his shoulder.

"Come on, lets get you cleaned up so you can go sort this out." Mark said, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze. He knew that this was a hard position to be in, but could only have hope that this will only be one of the many challenges that the couple will overcome and that it will truly make them a stronger couple.

tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp tp

Amelia sat on the park bench, looking out towards the ocean. She had always come here to play, and had to wonder whether her child would be playing here too. She had always loved this park, for the swings. She would always imagine swinging so high that she could maybe jump off the swing and fly over the ocean.  
She looked at her watch, quickly checking the time. She had expected Macaulay to be here early. He had sms'd her half an hour ago to tell her that he was ready to meet her, and she had come straight here thinking that he would probably be eager to get here too.

Looking towards the car park, she could not see him, and with a great sigh, got up and moved towards the swings. She figured that while she still fit she should embrace the opportunity.

She sat down carefully, her slightly wider hips catching on the chains. She waited for a moment, letting her body adjust to the swing, and again looking around for Macaulay.

On giving up waiting for him she began to swing, pushing off of the ground. The seat moved slowly at first, before gradually gaining momentum.

So caught up in swinging, she didnt see the yellow jeep wrangler pull up in the car park, or the young man who climbed out from behind the wheel before reaching into the back for a parcel.

. - .

Macaulay looked at her with concern. He wasnt sure that this was really something she should be doing. He knew that women were not supposed to fly in their first trimester, and was clearly worried that this would be a similar thing.

He moved towards her quickly, wanting to stop her from swinging, especially if it could harm the baby.

Putting the parcel down on the ground, he quickly moved behind the swing to grab the back of the swing and quickly bring her to a stop.

"What the" Amelia cried, in the shock of the jolt, almost losing her balance on the seat.

"What are you doing?" Macaulay promptly asked, as he moved out from behind her to stand in front of her.

"Waiting for you." She said as she looked down, her eyes avoiding his.

"How... how do you want to do this?"he asked, as he reached to help her off of the swing.

"I... i dont know." She murmurs, only now bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"What do you want from me?" he asked her, leading her away from the swing, towards the bench.

"I dont know." She said quietly as she sat down on the bench.

"Do we... why did you..." he started but couldnt quite work out how to piece together the rest of the question.

"I dont know." She sighed, cutting him off.

"Well while you dont know, we have to work out what we are going to do now." He told her as he sat down beside her. "But i can tell you what i do know." He added, as he reached for her hand again. "I do know what i want. I want you. I want this baby. I want my life back. You can decide whether you want it too, and i will give you some time to decide. But ... Mom gave a speech at the start of my internship about how this is my turning point, and i'd like to think this." He said, as he moved his hand to rest on her stomach, his eyes coming up to meet hers. "this is ours." He told her earnestly, and was surprised to feel her lips suddenly upon his.


	11. Chapter 11

Epilogue - -

Addison stood beside Meredith as they looked in towards the tiny little girl who occupied the little crib closest to the window. It was as if she was on display for the whole world to see.

The little girl looked remarkably plain, which didn't sit well with both her grandfathers.

They had come along way since they had found out about the pregnancy, and the marriage that had happened shortly after had surprised them, but not so much as it had the rest of their extended family who had to adjust to the fact that two kids – raised as cousins - were actually now husband and wife.

There had been fights – between Derek and Mark, Meredith and Derek and of course Macaulay and Amelia. It really had been looking a bit too much, especially when Amelia had tried to insist that she didn't want them to be together, that she could raise their daughter by herself.

It all seemed so long ago.

Time had flown from the day at the park. Meredith could remember Macaulay just coming into the hospital and sitting in the seat out the front of her office, not able to work just yet as he had needed one on one "mommy and me" time.

It had taken a lot for Chelsea to forgive Amelia for hurting her brother, and even longer for Laura to accept that Amelia had been the one responsible for the massive change in her cousins world.

Ellis had died from a heart problem due to the Alzheimers, and Richard had moved in with Meredith and Mark as he was no longer able to handle the thought of living alone.

"Did they say what her name was?" Meredith asked Addison as she looked up at her from her wheelchair, noticing that Macaulay was currently taking his little girl from the crib. Amelia was standing beside him wrapped in her dressing gown. She had shocked everyone when she had told her mother that she didn't want her as her doctor, and had then moved further into everyones disbelief when she had asked the ob/gyn of the hospital to do the honours.

"Something about cherishable." Addison murmured not having any idea as she looked down the hall way to see Mark and Derek walking towards them. Chelsea was just in front of them and was obviously bouncing along with excitement, the only person missing was Elijah. He was currently scrubbed in on a surgery with Tasman. Meredith having noticed how he had pulled away from Macaulay not long after the pregnancy came out.. It had peaked her interest to say the least, and Mark was put on the trail only for him to reveal that he was just missing his brother.

"Hey" They hear a voice say, and both Meredith and Addison are surprised to see that Macaulay and Amelia are now standing in front of them.

"Hi" the both sound in reply, and they wait for either one of their children to say something more.

It seemed that they were waiting for Derek and Mark to join them, and once they were there, with Chelsea standing by their side, Amelia spoke up.

"I would like to introduce you guys to Ellis Emmerson Sloan, Emm for short." She said as she moved to put the baby girl in Merediths arms, everyone lowering themselves to Merediths height to get a closer look at the baby.

Amelia snuggled into Macaulays arms, both looking down at the site of their family combined together, Macaulay noticing his missing brother, and hurting slightly at how things had been between them lately. When he had spoken to Amelia about turning points back when they were at the park, he didn't realise that such decisions as this would rip him away from his twin. He didn't know that this turning point would bring about the fork in the road which would separate his path from his brothers.

............................. to to to to to to to

In the mean time Elijah looks on, from the comfort of distance, missing his brother, wanting to be there with his family, but mourning the loss of it all. He didn't ever think anything could come between them until now... unfortunately, he had no idea how to fix it, how to go back, how to do a u-turn and find his way back home.


End file.
